Tube cleaning mechanism



April 21, 1 959 B. WALZ 2,882,539.

TUBE CLEANING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BRUNO VIALZ BY WM ATTORNEY April 21, 1959 B. WALZ 2,882,539

TUBE CLEANING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 18. 1954 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. ammo wALz BY FIG. 1 W

/ ATTORNE United States Patent TUBE CLEANING MECHANISM Bruno Walz, Richmond, Mich.

Application November 18, 1954, Serial No. 469,720

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-3.5)

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a tube cleaning mechanism adapted primar ly for cleaning beverage coils such as are used in the dispensing of beer and root beer, and so forth.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure whereby water under pressure from a suitable source such as the city supply, may be used with other materials for cleaning the tubes or coils.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure whereby the water under pressure may be used for forcing a quantity of fractionating elements through the tubes or coils to break up the encrustations so that the same may be removed by a constant stream of water and delivered through the tubes or coils.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism whereby these fractionating elements may be delivered from a compartment through the tubes or coils and then deposited in a second compartment and the flow of liquid through the compartment reversed so that the fractionating elements may again be transmitted through the tubes and coils and returned to the original c0mpartment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mechanism of this class which will embody a receptacle or bowl having a plurality of compartments so that material contained in either of the compartments may be delivered therefrom through the tubes or coils into another compartment and then reversely delivered again through the tubes or coils for redeposit into the original compartment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism of this class which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easily and quickly assembled, durable and highly efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It is recognized that various modifications and changes may be made in the details of the construction illustrated without departing from the invention, and it is intended that the present disclosure shall be considered to be but the preferred embodiment.

Forming a part of this application are drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view, with wall 41 removed, of the invention slightly enlarged, taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view slightly reduced taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a schematic sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the periphery of line 4-4 of Fig.

valve 18 flattened out to illustrate the port and channel groove arrangement. 0

As shown in the drawings, the invention comprises a base 17 in which is rotatably mounted a valve plug 18 which is provided with a passage 22 so that the valve plug is hollow except that it is closed at one end as shown in Fig. 2. A handle 19 is fixedly mounted on the member 18 so that the member 18 may be rotated in the passage formed in the base 17. Extending outwardly from one end of the base is a nipple 20 which may be attached to a suitable drain conduit for conducting liquid from the passage 21 to a sump or drain. It is intended that the open end of the valve plug 18 be connected to a source of liquid under pressure, such as the city water supply. As shown in Fig. 1, the base 17 is supported on a suitable pedestal or stand 17a.

Mounted on and projecting outwardly from the base 17 is a transparent bowl 23 which is preferably formed of transparent plastic. A head 24 is mounted on the upper end of the bowl 23 and bears against a gasket 25 so that there is a waterproof seal between the upper edge of the bowl 23 and the head 24. Extending upwardly from the base 17 centrally of the bowl 23 is a tubular hub 26. Extending through this hub 26 is a screw 27 which threads into the base 17 and serves to retain the head 24 fixedly mounted on the upper end of the bowl 23.

Extending downwardly of the head is a boss 28 formed in which are the openings 29 and 30. The head also serves as a valve housing for the valve plug 31 having the cut away portion 32 so that the valve plug 31 may be rotated by means of the handle 33 to bring the cutaway portion 32 into registration with the opening 29, while at the same time the cut away portion 34 of the plug 31 is in registration with the opening 30. When the valve plug 31 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the opening 29 is in communication with the passage 35 which leads into a nipple 36 at the same time that the opening 30 is in communication with the passage 37 which leads to the nipple 38. It is intended that the nipple 36 be connected to one end of the tube or coil to be cleaned and the nipple 38 be connected to the other end so that liquid delivered through the passage 35 may pass through the tubes or coils to be cleaned and enter through the passage 37 to pass through the opening 30. On the other hand, the flow of liquid may be through the opening 30 and passage 37 to return to the passage 35 and the opening 29.

As shown in Fig. 4, the hub 26 is provided with the radial partitions 39, 40 and 41 which serve to divide the bowl 23 into separate compartments 42, 43 and 44. The partitions 39, 40 and 41 extend upwardly from the base 17 into the dome hollow of head 24 and are in sealing engagement therewith.

In the use of the mechanism, after a proper connection between the tube or coil to be cleaned and the nipples 36 and 38 has been made, the nipple 20 will be connected to the outlet pipe. A quantity of fractionating members, such as glass beads, will. be deposited in the compartment 43 and a quantity of wiping or cleaning members, such as small pieces of sponge, will be deposited in the compartment 42.

When the water is turned on and the valve plug 18 moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, with the city water supply connected to the tube 18, the water will pass through the port or opening 45 and through the opening 46 into the compartment 43, whence it will pass through the opening 29, the cut-away portion 32, into the passage 35. This water will carry with it these fractionating elements or beads so that they travel through the coils or tubes to be celaned. These fractionating elements will serve to loosen or crush the residue which has accumulated on the inner surface of the tubes or coils and this loosened material may be carried by the stream of water into the passage 37, whence it may flow into the compartment 44. From this compartment 44 the Water will flow through the opening 47 and the cut away portion 48 of the valve plug 18 through the outlet passage 21. The fractionating elements or heads. will of course be carried into the compartment 44 and entrapped therein by means of the screen 49. (See also Fig. 2.)

A reverse fiow of the liquid may be accomplished by rotating the valve plug 18 clockwise of Fig. 2. so that the port 45 no longer registers with the opening 46 but the peripheral groove 5t) will be in registration with the opening 46. When this is accomplished the cut away portion or groove 48 will no longer be in registration with the port or opening 47 but the passage 51 formed in the plug 18 will be in registration with the port 47 so that liquid will be delivered into the interior of the compartment 44 and permitted to pass through the coils or tubes to be cleaned, returning through the passage 35 into the compartment 43 whence it may pass through the groove 50 which is in registration with the opening 46 to the output passage 21. In this operation, the fractionating members or beads will be returned to the compartment 43.

After this operation has proceeded a suificient length of time so that the operator, by observing the liquid through the transparent bowl 23, can ascertain the fractionating action of the heads, the valve plug 18 is again rotated so that the passage 45 registers with port or opening 52 leading into compartment 42. At the same time groove 50 will register with opening 47.

Consequently, the chamber 44 is connected with the outlet passage 21 and the chamber 42 is connected through the opening 52 and the passage 45 with the interior of the valve plug 18. The plug 31 is then rotated so that the cut away portion 32 registers with the passage 54, shown in Fig. 5, and with the interior of the compartment 42. Water then delivered into the interior of the compartment 42 will pass through the passage 35 and the liquid will return through the passage 37 into the compartment 44.

Positioned in the compartment 42 is a quantity of small pieces of sponge, these pieces being preferably about a half-inch cube. Of course, the size of the cubes of sponge may be increased or diminished depending {upon the interior diameter of the pipes or coils to be cleaned. These sponges will pass with the liquid from compartment 42 through the pipes or coils to be cleaned and returned to the compartment 44 where they will be entrapped by the screen 49.

This arrangement of ports will be obvious from an examination of Fig. 6 in which the valve plug 18 is moved clockwise until the passage 45 registers with the passage or opening 52 which will bring the groove 50, clearly shown in Fig. 7, into registration with the opening 7.

A reverse flow of the liquid from the compartment 44 to return to the compartment 42 may be effected by a further rotating of plug 18 until the groove 50 is in registration with the opening or passage 52 thus communicating the interior of the compartment 42 with the outlet passage 21. At the same time the port or opening 53 in the valve plug 18 will be brought into registration with the opening 47 leading into the compartment 44.

Experience has shown that the undesirable foreign material which accumulates in coils and pipes used for dispensing beer and carbonated drinks consists of a pasty, yeast-like substance which adheres to the inner surface of the pipes and also or" a hardened substance which serves to coat the inner surface of the pipes. The beads or pellets which are used are of spherical form and preferably formed from glass or plastic. They must be sufficiently light so that they will be carried by the 7 {stream of water as referred to above. After the pellets have loosened and removed this foreign material, the sponges serve to further clean the pipes or coils.

If desired, the sponges and pellets or beads may be deposited together into the compartment or chamber 43. Ihis would eliminate the necessity of rotating the valve plug 31 so that the parts could remain in the position 'shown in Fig. 2, and the flow of the sponges and pellets together through the coils or pipes could be directed in either direction, as hereinabove described.

Experience has shown that a very effective cleaning operation may be accomplished by the mechanism herein described. Due to the fact that the water flowing into the compartment in the bowl 23 is immediately flowing out of it, the structure may be made very compact, the

bowl merely serving as a receptacle for the flowing liquid and as a receptacle for the cleaning agents which are the pellets and the pieces of sponge.

What I claim is:

A tube cleaning device of the class described, comprising; a base mounted on a pedestal; a transparent bowl fixedly mounted on said base and having the lower end thereof enclosed by said base; a screen mounted on and enclosing the lower end of said bowl; a head fixedly mounted on and enclosing the upper end of said bowl; a plurality of partitions mounted in said bowl and dividing the interior of said bowl into three separate compartments; a plurality of a first type of cleaning elements in a first one of said compartments and a plurality of a second type of cleaning elements in a second one of said compartments; a centrally disposed first valve housing formed in said head; a first passage in said head having one end thereof in communication with said first valve housing and the other end thereof adapted to be con nected to one end of a tube to be cleaned; a second passage in said head having one end thereof in communication with said first valve housing and the other end thereof adapted to be connected to the other end of a tube to be cleaned; each of said compartments being in communication with the first valve housing by means of an opening formed through the wall of said first valve housing; a first valve plug rotatably mounted in said first valve housing and being movable to a first position to connect said first compartment to said first passage and to a second position to connect said second compartment to said first passage; the third one of said compartments being connected to said second passage when said first valve plug is in said first and second positions; a second valve housing formed in said base beneath said compartments; each of said compartments being in communication with said second valve housing by means of an interconnecting port; a liquid outlet passage formed in said base and having one end thereof in communication with said second valve housing and the other end thereof adapted to be connected to a drain conduit; a second valve plug rotatably mounted in said second valve housing and having a liquid inlet passage formed therein which is adapted to be connected to a source of liquid under pressure; said second valve plug being adapted to be rotated to a first position to connect said liquid inlet passage to said first compartment and to connect said third compartment to said liquid outlet passage, and, to a second position to connect said liquid inlet passage to said third compartment and to connect said liquid outlet passage to said first compartment, when said first valve plug is in said first position, whereby, liquid under pressure will carry the first type of cleaning elements from said first compartment and through the tube to be cleaned and into the third compartment, and then back through the tube to said first compartment; and said second valve plug being adapted to be rotated to a third position to connect said liquid inlet passage to said second compartment and to connect said third compartment to said liquid outlet passage, and, to a fourth position to connect said liquid inlet passage to said third compart- 5 6 ment and to connect said liquid outlet passage to said References Cited in the file of this patent second compartment, when said first valve plug is in said second position, whereby, liquid under pressure will carry UNITE? STATES PATENTS the second type of cleaning elements from said second 2,011,323 Remlck Aug. 13, 1935 compartment and through the tube to be cleaned and into 5 the third compartment and then back through the tube FOREIGN PATENTS to said second compartment. 18,366 Holland Oct. 15, 1928' 

